The Lady's Green Room

The Lady is surrounded by leafy splendor in her garden room. There are walls of verdant trees, and, overhead, foliage arches across the ceiling.

Of all my garden spaces, the Lady Garden is becoming my favorite. The arbor swing has a great view of the hydrangea walk and is up close to bird and other wild life activity. I like to watch the trees and listen to the sounds in the garden. Squirrels play, and the gentle tunes of wind chimes mingle with bird song. It is a peaceful place that Lou and I both enjoy.

Most of the planting beds feature hostas. They are well suited to the filtered sunlight this area receives. As June begins, they are growing full and I love their colors and textures:Clockwise from upper left: Francis Williams; Sum and Substance; Whirlwind; Big DaddyAnd here is a birds nest fern, an indoor plant spending the summer outdoors. As long as I keep it watered it likes the subtropical temperatures.

While green predominates, as it usually does in my part of the world in summer, there are some colorful red accents:

And a few other things which add some interest:

The Lady Garden, 2011, is still immature. I am waiting for ground covers to cover the dirt floors. Boxwood and tea olives have yet to grow together to form hedges which will delineate two sides. I am still tweaking the stone paths. The planting beds need lots more plants! Meanwhile, garden ornaments, colorful pots, and temporary plants help to fill in. But things are growing, and it is beginning to feel like a real outdoor room.